Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese isn't a bad player. She's doing well in her first year in the league, and she's become a popular player. She was well known during her college seasons and also won an NCAA Championship with LSU. However, it's clear that Reese has to up her game and soon. She's been called out a bit in the media for stat padding and forcing all of her shots.
When watching her play, she doesn't look completely comfortable. Things turn sour once a defender gets on her in the paint. That's when she plays the huck it toward the basket and hope it goes in game. This is a major problem.
Double-doubles but bad percentages
Reese has been a double-double machine this season, but the shooting percentages are telling a different story. In her last game against the Phoenix Mercury, she had 19 points and 20 rebounds, which is great. The flip side, though, is she was 8-16 from the paint. Ten of those rebounds were on offense, and some came from her own misses.
This also happened against the Los Angeles Sparks the other night. She had 14 points and 11 rebounds while going 4-13 from the field. Every single game, one can watch Reese get the ball and go for the shot, even with three defenders on her. This isn't good basketball. With the way she draws defenders to the paint, she should be looking for the open player elsewhere.
Scroll through her game log. Most games show the same pattern of a double-double with bad shooting numbers and a heavy addition of her getting her own rebounds.
Could Angel Reese get the ROY?
To keep things simple, if Reese wins the Rookie of the Year award, there are going to be a lot of questions asked. Caitlin Clark has turned up the heat recently, and Reese hasn't. Now, don't get it twisted; Reese is still elite, and she deserves credit for what she's doing. The problem is Clark is on a different level compared to all of these rookies.
The race is still on, and the Sky rookie could turn things around, but chances are she isn't going to win it. We can still celebrate her and the way she has helped grow the league, though. She could easily be a future MVP if she can control herself better down low.
Midrange jumper could do wonders
Reese has pulled out the midrange in a few games. It's a smooth shot that looks good. She's 6'3", trying to battle on the boards against women who are 6'5" and up. This just isn't the way to get it done. It's time for her to take a step back and reevaluate how she should be playing.
She should be getting the ball at the free-throw line back to the defender. Bump off of them a bit and hit the fade away. If she practices this move enough, she could be deadly. Even just being able to catch and shoot from inside would be fantastic.
She's proven that she can do this before. She has the build, long legs, and decent strength to do the job. Enough of the weird hookshot flops, ring dingers, and backboard bangers. Yes, she's getting the rebound and putting it back up, but this is just an overcomplicated and messy way to do it. If she grows her shooting game in the paint, she could become a deadly player.